Botanical Description: There are several different kinds of tea trees but the one with the most potent medicinal oil is called Melaleuca alternifolia. It belongs to a sub-species of the Myrtaceae family, which also includes Clove, Eucalyptus and Myrtle. The tree is native only to the northeast area of New South Wales, Australia, where it has long been used by the aboriginal people as an antiseptic. It develops into a tall upright shrub with papery bark and is covered in white flowers during the spring and summer. The needlelike leaves and small branches are picked throughout the year and distilled to produce Tea Tree oil. The oil is a highly effective topical antibacterial and antifungal, and by far the most important of the Melaleuca oils used in aromatherapy.

Fragrance: Tea Tree essential oil has warm, spicy, camphoraceous top notes with pungent, medicinal undertones.

Fragrant Effect: Tea Tree oil has a stimulating effect upon the body's natural immune system thus helping to further reduce the effects of infectious micro-organisms.

Blends Well With: Tea Tree essential oil blends well with a wide range of essential oils such as Cananga, Clay Sage, Clove, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lavandin, Lavender, Lemon, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Oakmoss, Pine and Rosemary.

Therapeutic Properties: Perhaps, the most important property of Tea Tree oil is the powerful immunostimulant action, which is especially useful in debilitating illness such as glandular fever and for people who repeatedly succumb to infections. Other actions include anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal, balsamic, cicatrizant, diaphoretic, expectorant, fungicidal, immunostimulant, parasiticide, stimulant and vulnerary.

Aromatherapeutic Use: Tea Tree essential oil is valuable in the treatment of abscesses, acne, asthma, athlete's foot, blisters, bronchitis, burns, catarrh, cold and flu, cold sores, coughs, cystitis, dandruff, herpes, insect bites and stings, pruritus, respiratory ailments, ringworm, sinusitis, thrush, tuberculosis, vaginitis, verrucae, warts, whooping cough and wounds.

Constituents: The oil contains numerous chemicals known as terpenoids. Australian standards were established for the amount of one particular compound, terpinen-4-ol, which must make up at least 30% and preferably 40–50% of the oil for it to be medically useful. Another compound, cineole, should make up less than 15% and preferably 2.5% of the oil. In addition, other active principles include pinene, terpinenes, cymene, sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene alcohols.